Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026
Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
Published on: July 5, 2011
Tourniquet use in total knee arthroplasty: a meta-analysis
Ta-Wei Tai1, Chii-Jeng Lin, I-Ming Jou
1Department of Orthopaedics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, 138 Sheng-Li Rd., Tainan, Taiwan.
Purpose:
The use of an intraoperative tourniquet for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common practice. However, the effectiveness and safety are still questionable. A systematic review was conducted to examine that whether using a tourniquet in TKA was effective without increasing the risk of complications.
Methods:
A comprehensive literature search was done in PubMed Medicine, Embase, and other internet database. The review work and the following meta-analysis were processed to evaluate the role of tourniquet in TKA.
Results:
Eight randomized controlled trials and three high-quality prospective studies involving 634 knees and comparing TKA with and without the use of a tourniquet were included in this analysis. The results demonstrated that using a tourniquet could decrease the measured blood loss but could not decrease the calculated blood loss, which indicated actual blood loss. Patients managed with a tourniquet might have higher risks of thromboembolic complications. Using the tourniquet with late release after wound closure could shorten the operation time; whereas early release did not show this benefit.
Conclusions:
The current evidence suggested that using tourniquet in TKA may save time but may not reduce the blood loss. Due to the higher risks of thromboembolic complications, we should use a tourniquet in TKA with caution.
